Aunt Della’s Sugar Cookies

As much as I enjoy coming up with new recipes in the kitchen, I consider Christmas a time for traditions, and baking these Aunt Della’s cookies has been one of my family’s holiday traditions as far back as I can remember. We’re not exactly sure where the recipe originated at this point, but my mom got the recipe from her mom, who we think got it from a friend of hers…who either got the recipe herself from an Aunt Della or from someone else who had an Aunt Della. So basically we have no idea who Aunt Della is, but we certainly love her cookie recipe!

Aunt Della’s cookies are simple, unassuming sugar cookies that just about melt in your mouth and are instantly addictive. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s virtually impossible to eat just one. My mother and I decorate them with sprinkles (green and red colored sugar and multicolored nonpareils), but my grandmother also uses chopped walnuts and shredded coconut – completely up to you!

A word to the wise: while Aunt Della’s cookies are great to have around to nosh on, to give to neighbors, or to set out for Santa, these are relatively fragile cookies and do NOT pack well, so if you’re looking for baked goods to send to faraway family and friends, you’d be better off with something sturdier, like brown butter oatmeal cookies, chocolate espresso crinkle cookies, or Nutella Rice Krispies chocolate chip cookies. My mom once sent some of these to her brother in another state, and he told her that they arrived in crumbs…very, very tasty crumbs that he ate with a spoon. I think that’s a good testament as to how irresistible Aunt Della’s cookies are, no?

Thanks! I don’t have much experience with using honey in place of sugar, so I can’t say for sure – but I have heard that you’re supposed to lower the baking temperature ~25 degrees if you’re replacing sugar with honey. If you try it with honey, please do report back! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

I NEED MY CAKE PANTS FOR THESE!! These are so cheerful and adorable, and so many of them!! I love it! The recipe is so simple and I need a sugar cookie recipe, I don’t have a back pocket one. This is going to be it! I’ll try it soon and let you know how it goes!!

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Hi there! I'm Mara, a semi-vegetarian home cook with a serious sweet tooth and a penchant for flavorful yet unfussy recipes. Originally from California, I'm currently living in Michigan for grad school. Read more...